Electricity and Gas price hike raises risk of cold winter in UK

After the hike in the prices of gas and electricity, Npower and British Gas have concerns of a cold winter for several affected households. Npower announced that it was raising its average gas tariffs by 8.8 pc and 9.1 pc for electricity on October 11, 2012.

The price rise means that households have to pay £9 more on an average per month. British Gas had earlier announced that it increased the energy costs for 8.5 million customers by 6 pc that added £80 to the average of the dual fuel bill.

The companies which increased the prices blamed it on the rising costs which are going out of their control. Meanwhile, even the prices of the food and some mortgage costs also going on the upward scale due to which there are concerns about how the elderly people are going to cope up with the latest rates.

The price hike was protested by the Union and consumer group and even called the government to take urgent steps to tackle the rising fuel prices. Many of them had criticised the £23 pc rise in the half year profits at its British Gas residential arm to £345. The company also said that the annual dual fuel bill for the British Gas customers with an average consumption will increase to £1,238.